What is the difference between a Bartender and a Mixologist?

With the cocktail culture in the sudden limelight, there is a lot of debate about the role of a bartender and a Mixologist. The simple art of mixology has a lot of background science story behind it. This one question is constant in the barworld and carries a lot of tension around it – Who is a bartender & Who is a Mixologist?

In a layperson’s language, both of them mix drinks and make people go drunk and happy! But do you really think that the term bartending and mixology mean the same thing ? If yes, you are in for a big surprise.

So, who is a Bartender?

Bartender is one of the most commonly used term to refer to people working behind the bar.

In simple terms, bartender is a person who is guest oriented and prepare beverages behind the bar.

He or she could simply be a well-dressed person mixing a few spirits to give you a drink that pampers your taste buds.

Also known as barkeep or bar chef, this is the person who formulates your drinks behind the bar in an establishment.

Not only just serving, the bartender sees to it that your drink stock is replenished and cleans every visible part of the bar.

They socialize with the customers and also try to educate them about their drinks.

Bartenders also process customer payments for their drinks.

And, who is a Mixologist?

A Mixologist is an individual who designs cocktails who are seasonal or aligned with the style and crowd of the environment. In simple words, they seek out fresh ingredients and quality spirits in order to create a flavorful cocktail.

They work on house-made syrups, bitters, powders, and tinctures to give your drinks a fabulous taste and appearance.

Let’s give you a heads up on the certification part; IBA and USBG are planning to accredit Mixologists officially.

Much similar to a chef, The Mixologists also source out local farm ingredients to perfect the balance of flavors in your cocktail. They work on innovating new recipes from scratch and there is precise attention paid to temperature, infusions, texture, and garnish.

The whole mixing and infusion of high-quality ingredients takes place before the guests arrive.

In 1987 Dale DeGroff, founder of the American Museum of Cocktail first slipped the term “Mixology” onto his menu in New York. The words were found by him during a research on the 19th century Bar Manual. That was the beginning day of an era as we know it.

The bottom line is that Mixologists focuses on innovative drinks while the bartender serves the customers’ needs. Throughout our history bartender has been the functional guy who works behind the bar and serves drinks. But towardsthe late 1800s Mixologists came into the picture. This era saw people mixing cocktails for the first time. During the past, the new title of Mixologists was a social cachet to the profession. But slowly over time as the cocktails revolutionized, so does the profession of mixology. The rise of craft cocktails was one of the major reasons for their glorified success

In a nutshell, both Bartenders and Mixologists know their way around well crafted drinks. But Mixologists add an attractive element of surprise of flavor and appearance your drinks.

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